The Savvy Way to Experience Mt. Elbrus & the Caucasus
Our experts living there take the hassle out of your trip and you enjoy the trip of a lifetime.
Do you want to safely and successfully summit Mt. Elbrus?
We make this possible by connecting you to experienced and professional local guides. Our guides:
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Browse our sample tours below, get in touch with us, and we will customize it for you!
ELBRUS CLIMBING TOURS
RUSSIA CULTURAL TOURS
Best Time to CLIMB ELBRUS
Your weather guide to pick the best season for your tour.
Mid-June – Late August – This is high season at Mt. Elbrus! These are the months that tend to give the best chance for groups to summit: warm and sunny days, with less chance of long thunderstorm.
Late July into August especially can produce warm summit days with very slushy snow at base camp and on the first few hundreds of feet to climb. We can’t guarantee good weather on your summit day, but it’s worth scheduling your climb in this time period, to give yourself the best chance of success!
May-June & September-October – May tends to be one of the rainier months of the year at the bottom of Elbrus, although at base camp this tends to be a different story (i.e. snow in May, not rain).
September often has pretty clear skies. October’s weather is a bit more unpredictable but there are still climbers heading to the summit then. May, September, and October are climbing months in that the weather is warm enough, but they are still significantly colder than June-August, so be prepared for this.
We schedule most of our Elbrus Climbs between June and August. The reason for this is having the best chance of summit success for our climbers, in regards to warmer weather and lower chance of thunderstorms/blizzards. While this doesn’t always hold true at such a high elevation, be aware of this if planning a summit in the shoulder season.
November – April – These are the coldest months of the year at Elbrus and except for the most extreme winter climbers, very few are climbing Elbrus at this time of year.
If you’re looking to experience the ski slopes of Elbrus, this is the time for you to do it. If you want to climb Elbrus, plan your trip during the summer months.
>> See Also: Best Time to Visit the North Caucasus | Best Time to Visit Moscow & St. Petersburg
Most Popular Blog Posts
Our experts living in Russia share their experience.
Is Mt. Elbrus a Technical Climb?
Mount Elbrus, the crown jewel of the Caucasus Mountain Range, is the highest peak in Europe, making it one of the coveted 7 summits. It is often the second of the Seven Summits attempted by climbers. Note that in every picture the mountain appears to be covered in snow……pictures all taken during Russia’s infamously long and icy winters, right? No, even during the summer (when the lower elevation areas of the Caucasus Mountains reaches 95F or 40C), Mt. Elbrus is shrouded in snow and ice which flow off in glaciers down every side of the mountain.
Climbing Elbrus & Kilimanjaro – How the First 2 of the 7 Summits compare
Although there is no mandated order in which the Seven Summits must be climbed, many climbers elect to start with Africa’s Mt. Kilimanjaro based on its relative ease of accessibility and the mountain’s reputation for being the “easiest” of the seven summits. Following a successful summit of Kilimanjaro, most climbers will likely select Europe’s highest peak, Mt. Elbrus, or Aconcagua (South America) for their second summit.
Is The North Caucasus Safe?
From our years of experience, we have found that it is highly unlikely that you will be put in any danger in the North Caucasus region of Russia. Our two American representatives on the ground have lived a combined 9 years in the region with their wives and young children, and are happy to call it home. It is one of Russia’s most beautiful regions with a growing tourism infrastructure and is definitely worth visiting!